According to Government guidelines, rabbits are a pest. Rabbits cause an estimated £100m of damage every year. Due to the amount of damage, they create rabbits are afforded few protections in law. Under the Pests Act 1954, all occupiers of land have a "continuing obligation to kill or take any wild rabbits living on" it. They are an agricultural pest and will compete very effectively with livestock for pasture.
What Makes Rabbits Pests?
On average, 7-10 rabbits consume as much as one ewe. Rabbits have a very high capacity for reproduction, and female rabbits may be pregnant for 70% of a year. An early-born doe might breed in their first year. They can often produce a total of 20 - 50 young per adult doe.
Health and Safety
Rabbits are not frequently involved in transmission of disease to people.
Nonetheless, diseases or pathogens may on occasion be carried by rabbits and potentially be transmitted to humans such as hantavirus, leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV), Tularemia and Salmonella.
Properties
Rabbits can clear whole sowings of vegetables and newly planted borders as well as killing shrubs and trees by constantly gnawing the bark.
The last thing you want after spending time, money and effort on your garden, is an infestation of rabbits destroying it.
Work Place
They will destroy crops, and their constant burrowing and scrapes will cause extensive damage on erosion-prone soils, so much so that agricultural land can be rendered useless.
Historically, rabbit-infested farms would often be abandoned because owners could not make a living.
What Are the Signs of a Rabbit Infestation?
If you think you have a problem with rabbits in your garden or around your commercial premises, there are some telltale signs that you might notice.
You are likely to spot them in the early morning or evening foraging in your flowerbeds or grass, but you may also see clean-cut damage on your leaves, stems and flowers, signs of digging around your shrubs and flower beds, small rabbit droppings and tufts of fur.
If you ignore a rabbit infestation on your property, more rabbits will crop up and continue ruining your garden. Rabbits can dig up a garden, destroy grass and surrounding plant life in the process. If you find what you suspect to be rabbit holes or dens, call a professional pest controller.
How to Tackle a Rabbit Infestation
Rabbit control is a service that Premier Pest Control offers to customers who wish to reduce a population of rabbits quickly. Rabbits are one of the countryside's most difficult pests to control and deal within the UK. Premier Pest Control Staffordshire offers rabbit removal and control services. The objective is not to eradicate the species within an area, but to reduce the population to a degree where damage is tolerable or unnoticeable and then be kept at this level.
Deterrents
Deterrents don't seem very effective, however, protecting plants with prickly twigs and leaves does seem to have some effect. If rabbits see your garden as a food source, they will keep returning, making it impossible to remove them without taking extreme measures.
Flowers and vegetation attract rabbits; one of the simplest and easiest ways to deter rabbits is to make sure that the plants you are growing are protected by strong, sturdy fencing. Always position the fence deep in the ground and bent outwards to prevent rabbits from tunnelling underneath it.
Methods
Premier Pest Control Staffordshire uses a variety of methods suited for the requirements of rabbit control in your garden. We have always used environmentally-friendly control methods that achieve the best results. We also use traditional methods as well as the latest technology available. We meet the high standards of our customers. These methods are safe to pets, wildlife and your family members.
Removals
In the majority of cases, it is advisable to rabbit-proof the perimeter first and then remove internal populations. It means no re-infestations are possible. Every year we remove thousands of rabbits from both rural and urban areas.
Finding a Rabbit Warren and Removing It
Rabbits have a burrow system known as a warren, and tunnels can be 1-2m long. Their nest at the end of the tunnel is lined with grass, moss and belly fur. Rabbits use regular trails, which they will scent mark with faecal pellets.
Rabbits live on heathland, grassland, open meadow, the fringes of agricultural land, woodland and dry sandy soil, including dunes. Once you have located the rabbit holes, you can fill them in with rocks, gravel, dirt, sand or concrete. Concrete is an excellent method and will keep rabbits from reusing the hole; however, it will also render the land useless. Filling in the whole with some gravel and then dirt should keep it usable and rabbit-free.
Areas We Cover
Tamworth
Uttoxeter
Derby
Burton Upon Trent
Leek
Cheadle
Stafford
Etwall
Stone
Biddulph
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Eccleshall
Burntwood
Penkridge
Kidsgrove
Swadlincote
You can view our full range of pest control services here.
Premier Pest Control offers pest control services for many different types of pests. If you would like to find out more information, a free price estimation, or further details about our rabbit pest control services, please search our website, or give us a call, today!
Our friendly team are always on hand to give you expert advice, and great service. As a company, we also offer a reliable and fast response service, so we can solve your pest problems as quickly as we can.